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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23371363">Phases</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/avearia/pseuds/avearia'>avearia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phic Phight 2019 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Andovia212, Canon Vlad is a Jerk, Clones, Englandamericaitaly, Expectations, Gen, Girl's Night In, Past manipulation, Phic Phight 2019, Prompt Fic, Self-Discovery, life's hard when you're made with the intention of being someone else's exact copy, much less when you fail at that purpose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:55:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>795</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23371363</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/avearia/pseuds/avearia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dani and Valerie have a girls night in, talking about typical girl stuff, like nail polish, ghost hunting, hairstyles and clones - you know, the usual. Dani's ready to reinvent her own half-life. - From the Phic Phight 2019.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Valerie Gray &amp; Danielle "Dani" Phantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phic Phight 2019 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Phases</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic was in response to a Phic Phight Prompt by: Englandamericaitaly, aka Andovia212</p>
<p>The Prompt: Danielle visits Valerie to discuss some trouble she's been having with herself and talk about the difficulty of finding oneself as a clone who was born at age 12. How is she supposed to be herself when she was made to be someone else? Will Valerie be able to help her?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Phases</strong><br/>
-<br/>
</p>
<p>"It's just all so confusing, you know?"</p>
<p>Danielle sat cross-legged on the bed, one hand braced flat against her knee while the nail polish dried. Behind her, Valerie threaded her long, calloused hands through Dani's dark hair, smoothing and parting her locks into three parts for the braid.</p>
<p>Dani screwed the cap back on the polish, one handed, muttering to herself. "I'm a clone. An <em>imperfect</em> clone. I've only been alive for a year and I feel so <em>lost </em>sometimes."</p>
<p>"Mmm." Val hummed, twisting a lock of hair.</p>
<p>"Vlad… he made me to be Danny. And I'm <em>good</em> at being Danny. I like all the things he likes. I know most of what he knows. We have the same mannerisms, the same reactions, almost the same face." Danielle's eyes shifted downwards. "But I'm <em>not </em>him."</p>
<p>"No, you're not." Valerie agreed, working her way down the braid. "You're you."</p>
<p>"But who's <em>me?</em>" Dani asked, frustrated. "What if I don't really like astronomy - what if I only like it because Vlad <em>said </em>to? Because <em>Danny </em>does?"</p>
<p>"There's nothing wrong with liking the same things everyone else likes." Valerie teased. "Despite what Sam might tell you."</p>
<p>"But liking <em>everything </em>Danny likes?" Dani pressed. "It's eerie, being in the same room as him. I feel like a yes-robot. We say things in sync constantly. We react the same way. At that point - I'm just a bad copy."</p>
<p>Valerie gave Dani's hair a quick, painless tug. "That's Vlad's bad attitude talking and you know it."</p>
<p>"…Sorry," Dani apologized, shoulders slumped.</p>
<p>Val smoothed out the braid and continued on. "You have every right to feel that way. Vlad placed some unfair expectations on you, that's for sure. But you have to remember that those expectations do not <em>define </em>you. I mean, my Dad expected me to grow up as a proper lady, go to college, get a nice, lucrative career. But here I am, a highschool dropout, getting my knuckles dirty, fighting ghosts 7 days a week. Because I <em>decided</em> that was <em>important </em>to me."</p>
<p>"Is he disappointed?" Dani asked carefully.</p>
<p>"Oh, hell yeah he is. But he still loves me. And more importantly, <em>I </em>love me. Though - given my recent revelations about Vlad - I might have to go re-evaluate my life." Valerie shook her head. "But that's the beauty of choice. I can choose again if I want to."</p>
<p>"So—it's not—<em>permanent</em>, then—?" Dani's brow creased.</p>
<p>Valerie shook her head. "You're a person. People change. <em>Constantly.</em> Mom—" Val paused, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat. "Mom always said that women are like the moon. Shifting phases. Always trying something new. You can be full one night and dark on another, and no matter what you pick, you're still you."</p>
<p>Dani didn't say anything to that, sitting deep in thought.</p>
<p>Valerie tied off the braid, then leaned back. "You can choose to be whatever you want. So who do you <em>want </em>to be?"</p>
<p>"Not Danny," Dani replied.</p>
<p>Val shook her head. "Uh-uh. That's not defining what you <em>are,</em> that's defining what you <em>aren't</em>."</p>
<p>Dani huffed, looking away. "Fine. I want to be my own person."</p>
<p>"Done." Val said, snapping her fingers. "What else."</p>
<p>Dani frowned, thinking. "I want to have my own interests," she said at last, shrugging. "I want to find something that's unique to <em>me</em>."</p>
<p>"Like what?"</p>
<p>"I've only been alive for a year, Valerie," Danielle whined. "How am I supposed to know what I <em>want?</em>"</p>
<p>"Same as the rest of us." Val answered. "By trying new things."</p>
<p>Confused, Danielle cocked her head to the side, and Val waved at her new hairstyle, and at her hand. "I'm pretty sure Danny's never braided his hair," she pointed out. "Or done his nails. How do you feel?"</p>
<p>A smile crept up the corner of Dani's mouth. Slowly, she ran her unpainted hand over her tightly woven locks, feeling the bumps of the braid. "Feels a little restrictive, but…" she shook her head, and the braid flapped behind her, wagging left and right. "Ha! This is ridiculous. I like it."</p>
<p>"And the nails?"</p>
<p>"They… are they dry yet? I don't want to smudge them but I feel like I can't <em>touch </em>anything." Dani held her palm up in the air, examining the magenta tips. "And the color's a bit weird."</p>
<p>Val smiled. "See? You know what you like. You just have to discover it first. Now," She rummaged into the shoebox lying open on her bed, stuffed to the brim with nail varnish and makeup. "Give me your other hand, let's try a new color. How do you like this one?" she held up a glittering gold.</p>
<p>Dani shot her a brilliant grin.</p>
<p>"Thanks, I hate it!" she laughed, offering her right hand. "Let's give it a go!"</p>
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